A Statement from USITT

The murder of George Floyd at the knee of police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis was one of a long line of innocent lives taken due to brutality inflicted upon people of black and brown skin by the very people sworn to protect us. USITT denounces the injustice inflicted upon the Black Community in this instance and all the countless others preceding it.

USITT represents a broad spectrum of artists and our first core value is Inclusion. We strive to be a place where people of various colors, creeds, nationalities, ethnicities, genders, and sexualities can come together to create art, to learn from one another, and to open our minds and hearts to diversity's light. We speak up when people in our community must live in fear of others, especially people in authority.

No life can matter unless BLACK LIVES MATTER. On the street, in our communities, in our arts, and in our businesses, we must not only say that BLACK LIVES MATTER, we must show that BLACK LIVES MATTER in what we do.  To say BLACK LIVES MATTER does not diminish the contribution of anyone. Saying BLACK LIVES MATTER acknowledges that Black Community voices have been pushed to the side, ignored, spoken over, and silenced for far too long.

As a first step in helping America move forward, we commit to work against systemic injustice in an ongoing way and across all venues of life. Today we stand as a community in solidarity with the Black Community to say: BLACK LIVES MATTER in our Institute, in our country, and in our world. We will do everything we can to make those words reality.

We encourage you to learn more, beginning with the following resources. This list will be continually updated.

USITT's BLACK LIVES MATTER Resources List

Black Lives Matter Resources 101

SETC EDIA Resources for Engagement